LG GD510 POP
While LG's new GD510 POP is a regular handset powered by a conventional 900mAh battery, the phone also comes with a solar charging unit that snaps onto the back to tap into the power of the sun.
The best thing by far about the GD510 is that, even with the charger attached, it comes in at less than 15 millimetres. Without the charger, the GD510 is a startling 11.2mm thin. According to LG, a 10-minute charging session under the sun will give you two and quarter minutes of talk time, or up to 185 minutes on standby.
A full solar charge would probably take hours - fairly unrealistic, as it means you would have to leave your phone in sunlight for all that time. Clearly the GD510 isn't meant to replace the electric grid, but just offer a way to extend the battery life for a short period.
For a truly environmentally-friendly solution, the solar charger should be able to charge a separate battery for the phone during the day, so you wouldn't have to worry about finding a sunny spot whenever you dial.
The GD510 POP has a large, 3-inch display and quad-band GSM connectivity only, so no 3G or high speed data connections. But the camera isn't bad, at a respectable 3.2-megapixels, and there's plenty of multimedia support.
The GD510 POP is listed at HK$1,580.
Pros: solar charger, thin design, big screen
Cons: GSM only - no high speed data connection, solar charger attaches to phone, not separate battery, so not very practical
